Post navigation

Pineapple Carpaccio with Homemade Coconut Sorbet

Those of you lucky enough to have eaten at Red Ginger Pan-Asian Kitchen, my long-defunct restaurant in Half Moon Bay, will recognize this dessert as one of my signature sweet offerings. It was a fan favorite, healthy and refreshing. And very easy to put together.

To make this dish I shave slightly under-ripe pineapple on a Japanese Benriner mandolin about an eighth-of-an-inch thick. I lay the slices of pineapple on a plate and top with minced crystallized ginger, some crushed (salted) macadamia nuts, and a scoop of homemade coconut sorbet. I drizzle a little honey over the whole thing and then usually add a little fresh hand-torn mint leaf (although I seem to have forgotten it this time around).

The coconut sorbet is easy. I take two cans of organic coconut milk and add one cup of sugar. I heat it over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. I stir in a tablespoon of Malibu rum and chill the mixture for about two hours. I freeze it in an ice cream maker until airy and creamy. It’s stupid-easy.

Anyway, this dessert is a keeper, a crowd-pleaser, and with a little planning (and some special but inexpensive equipment) a cinch to make. And, as an added bonus, it’s totally vegan!